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by Rosy Day Blog
Luxury Skincare That is Not ExclusiveYou might have seen the VII Code eye masks around Instagram. I have always been intrigued with their "oxygen masks" as I've heard great things about oxygen facials, though I would never want to pay the price, nor go through the trouble to get one. I had wondered if these eye masks would provide a similar experience for the eye area, as I have had great results in the past with the Cremorlab O2 Couture line (more oxygen-based skincare).According to VIIcode's website, the current VIIcode skincare line originally started back with Doctor Byrne Victor who initially had some kind of skin disease but eventually ended up curing it himself at the age of 35. News of his "special potion"spread throughout Europe. Sometime in 1800, Dr. Victor ended up giving one of his potions to Josephine (Napoleon Bonaparte's wife). She was so impressed that she made him keep it a secret until she died. Now this secret is out today in the VIIcode brand (through one of Dr. Victor's children VII Byrne Victor). VII pride's itself in both basic (but quality) skincare and luxury skincare without all the exclusivity. They must be doing something right if such formulations/secrets have been around for that long! I can get behind and respect a brand like that. Disclosure:I have received this product from VIIcode to try, with no obligation to post/review. I was not given anything in exchange for trying the product or writing this review. I enjoy doing product reviews to share my own experiences with the product and hope someone finds it useful. I do not work for VIIcode.Table of Contents- About the Product- Oxygen Skincare Benefits - Routine & Review - Final Impressions & Shop Give Your Eyes The Boost They NeedProduct Description:According to the VIIcode website, the O2M Oxygen Eye Mask are, “…easy-to-apply gentle under eye pads are specifically designed to repair the skin around the eye area. Each pads contains a potent blend of natural antioxidants that really work hard to rejuvenate your skin, nourishing it with everything it needs to feel refreshed and invigorated when you wake up in the morning. The eye mask is the first ever product of its kind that is safe to use for eight hours, just peel, stick and go to sleep!”Product Claims:Like a lot of eye masks, the VIIcode O2M one claims to instantly refresh and moisturize eyes. With prolonged use – the eye masks should effectively reduce under eye fine lines and wrinkles.How to Use:VIIcode recommends using the eye masks on a freshly cleansed face. Do not add any serum or moisturizer to your eye area, as you do not want to prevent the mask treatment from penetrating your eye area. If you are wearing these eye masks overnight, you won’t need to apply moisturizer after.While these eye masks are supposed to be used overnight, if for some reason you prefer to not wear them to sleep, I would suggest having them on for at least 2-3 hours. After removal, then you can continue with the rest of your skincare routine around your eye area if you’d like. [back up] Oxygen Repair OvernightBenefits of Oxygen in SkincareVIIcode doesn't go into heavy detail about the "oxygen" part in their skincare. However, I will break it down a bit in general terms for those of you that are curious. We need oxygen to survive. We breathe it in and out every single day. However, oxygen can alsobe used to nourish the skin and help promote collagen growth. It can also help smooth and plump skin. I would imagine that oxygen in skincare would be similar to oxygen facials in that they help deliver oxygen to your skin to make it glow. I have also read somewhere a long time ago that the levels of oxygen in your skin (not your actual body) deplete as you get older or something to that effect.Why oxygen in skincare?
Notable Ingredients:Other highlighted ingredients according to the VIIcode website, include the following below.
Full Ingredients List:Aqua, Glycerin, Carbomer, Cellulose, Algin, Cellulose Gum, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Sodium PCA, Tocopherol, Polyglutamic Acid, Sodium Ascorbylphosphate, Phenoxythanol, Allantoin, E-Polylysine, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender Extract), Ubiquinone, Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol, and Manganese Chloride.[back up] The Eyes Say It AllI have hyper sensitive combination skin. Many things irritate my skin so I’m a bit abnormal in that aspect (just something to consider if you’re reading any of my reviews). It's going to be winter soon as I type. It's still somewhat warm here in Southern Califonia, but very cold at night (starting late afternoon and into the early mornings). My main concerns are anti-aging/firmness and redness/irritated skin. My skin recently started breaking out again and I think it has to do with all the mask wearing and the previous products I was using (which I have since removed from my routine). I don't know if it's because of the time change a month back and the shorter days, but I've grown so lazy that sometimes I end up shortening my night time routine and end up looking a bit like a zombie. These eye masks came at a good time for me to try. My skincare routine for the ~1 week that I used the VIIcode O2M Eye Masks are as follows below. Routine & Usage:Morning:
Night:
Performance:Since the eye masks aren’t dripping wet with essence, I wasn’t sure how hydrating and nourishing they would be, but they ended up being a pleasant surprise. The very first time I used these, I just wanted to try them out for a couple hours in the morning prior to skincare and makeup. Even though I didn’t wear them overnight for ~8 hours of sleep, my eyes still looked more hydrated, awake, and ready for makeup. I also tried these eye masks at night while sleeping and I wouldn’t say that using it overnight produces that much more drastic effects than just using it for a couple hours in the morning. However, the results that you may get from the eye masks, might stick around longer if you used them overnight versus just a couple hours during the day.You do have to keep in mind that I don’t exactly have bad dark circles, and most of the time I can combat any shadowing around my eye area with a combination of getting enough sleep and properly hydrating the eye area day and night. With that said, I typically get 6-7 hours of sleep and I don’t always have time to properly do my entire skincare routine. Even just using these eye masks alone (and nothing else on my face), I already look a bit more refreshed in the morning and less like a zombie. If you have more serious dark circles, VIIcode has another eye mask specifically for dark circles. I’m not sure about the differences in ingredients but the other one does cost a bit more. Just for testing purposes, I did use these eye masks everyday for 6 days straight. Although it would be expensive to use it that often, I did see my eye area slowly improve throughout the days. It might not completely get rid of all fine lines and wrinkles, but with the added hydration, it does make your eye area look a bit brighter and more smooth. It definitely makes any makeup I apply to my eye area afterwards, apply much better. I also feel like my foundation/concealer clung to my fine lines less, which is always a plus. Finally, you’re probably wondering how these wear overnight. To be honest, they will probably all off or at least loosen a bit while sleeping, especially if you move around a lot at night and tend to sleep on your sides, etc. I sleep on my back most of the time, so it’s not that bad for me, but sometimes I do toss and turn from a bad dream, or get so tired I slump to the side. The eye masks are still technically attached to my eye area, they just might not be as tight as before I went to sleep. If you can’t wear these eye masks to sleep, you can still get good results wearing them for 2-3 hours in the morning before you get ready or 2-3 hours before you go to sleep. Pros:
Cons:
[back up] Give Your Eyes The Care They DeserveFinal ImpressionsFace masks in general offer very temporary results and can get expensive if you use them frequently. My favorite sheet masks have always been on the more expensive end, so even if I saw better/more long term results with them than cheaper ones, they still probably cost more than a good serum or cream. Then there is also the issue of even finding the time to properly mask. With that said, I do have a bit of a love/hate relationship with masks, so I can appreciate the VIIcode eye masks being a bit more convenient. They’re not dripping in cold essence, they’re individually packaged (hygienic), and you can just conveniently wear them to sleep (if you’d like).However, like most masks, they are still just a special treatment and I wouldn’t necessarily say that they replace a good eye cream. If anything, just like a sheet mask, I would use the VIIcode eye masks to supplement your current eye care routine. You might use the VIIcode masks frequently initially, but once you get to a certain point you can use them maybe 2 times a week. They’re still not necessarily cheap and I do think they are the most luxe eye masks I’ve used. Would I use them again? Yes I would, once I have some funds freed up, LOL. But seriously though, these would be a staple in my travel routine. Well done VIIcode! I knew there was something special about you the first time I laid eyes on these oxygen eye masks. Final Rating = 4.25/5 (These are the best eye masks I’ve tried, but obviously due to their price I can’t use as often. If VIIcode were to make an eye serum version – I’d be all over it.) If you have any questions about the product, please let me know. Shop This Post VIIcode o2M |
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